Press Releases
07/06/2026
CHRO Statement on the Supreme Court Ruling in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox
On June 30, 2026, the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, upholding West Virginia and Idaho statutes banning the participation of transgender-athletes in sports under both Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In doing so, the Court has effectively barred transgender individuals, particularly transgender youth, from participating in athletic competition in those states. Even more, the decision makes it more likely that similar bans currently in place in twenty-seven other states will be upheld, extending these exclusions to transgender athletes across much of the country.
The West Virginia law upheld by the Court’s decision in B.P.J. bans transgender women and girls from participating in women’s and girls’ sports. Similarly, the Court also upheld an Idaho law prohibiting transgender girls from participating on female teams. In making its decision, the Court reasoned generally that transgender women and girls participating in sports would “create significant safety risks” and “undermine competitive fairness.” Notably, these laws only targeted transgender girls; there were no similar bans on transgender boys competing in men’s and boys’ sports.
In coming to the conclusion, that these claims were valid, the Court assumed that “all can agree” that transgender women and girls have “inherent physical differences relevant to athletic performance” and that these “advantages” negatively impact other women and girls in sports, thereby discouraging them from further athletic participation. These general conclusions made about women’s sports and women’s attitudes, led the court to conclude that the bans on transgender athletes in sports are important state interests and schools, thus, may determine eligibility for women’s and girls’ sports based on biological sex.
Despite this ruling, the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) would like to remind all Connecticut residents that transgender students and individuals are legally protected under independent Connecticut state law. Specifically, discrimination based on sex, gender, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation is illegal in CT. This includes how students participate in activities and use facilities. The CHRO has tirelessly worked to ensure that, in Connecticut, students have the right to participate in athletics and other extracurricular activities consistent with their gender identity. The CHRO stands with all transgender students and individuals and remains committed to fighting against discrimination.